Audio Recordings

2 TracksJonathon Ross presents this history of the band, featuring interviews with the band, members of their immediate entourage, and people who weren't there at the time reminiscing about how great they were. Among the hyperbole are some rare performances, but none of them is played in its entirety. Although it makes it point and has some on-the-money opinions from the people involved, its style is rather irritating. The CD is not divided into separate tracks, which doesn't help.

BBC press release - "Previously unheard recordings of The Jam will be broadcast for the first time in a new two part documentary The Jam: Made in Britain on BBC Radio 2, which tells the inside story of the group whose music defines an era.

"The Jam - Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler - were the biggest band in Britain in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In April 2002, it will be 25 years since the release of the first Jam single In The City, and the two part documentary (Saturday 20 and Saturday 27 April, 8.00-9.00pm) is narrated by long-time fan Jonathan Ross.

"The world exclusive features in the first of the two programmes, and are of previously unheard recordings of The Jam made in 1975 and 1976 (before they signed with Polydor Records in February 1977). The programme also traces the band’s journey from the early days of punk/new wave to their first top five single Eton Rifles in the summer of 1979.

"The second programme focuses on the glory years, starting with Going Underground - which topped the charts in early 1980 - followed by Start, and the album Sound Affects, which Paul Weller describes as his favourite Jam record. This programme also looks at the group's split in 1982. Weller made the decision at the height of The Jam’s success, and in the programme he speaks candidly about the pressures that drove him to take that decision and why, 20 years later, he, Bruce and Rick still are not talking to each other.

"We could have been the Rolling Stones and still turn out once a year for a quick bit of cabaret, but I’m not into that," says Paul. "You should either mean it - or move on and do something else."

"The two part documentary features an in depth interview with Paul Weller, and archive interviews with Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. It also includes an interview with original member Steve Brookes; and interviews with producers Chris Parry, Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and Peter Wilson; with manager - and Paul’s father - John Weller; Polydor A&R man Dennis Munday; ex-NME writer Adrian Thrills; rock photographer Pennie Smith; Noel Gallagher of Oasis, who was 15 when the band split; and Jam fan, Phill Jupitus."